Resume

OBJECTIVE

Seeking creative opportunities with a small company or startup in the Raleigh area that makes my jaw drop because they’re doing something that I just have to be a part of. I’m always open to considering partnerships, consulting work, and other opportunities. If you think we would get along, contact me.

SKILLS SUMMARY

Project Management

Event Planning

Training & Consulting

Marketing & Communications

Client/Customer Support

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Project Management

• Managed monthly and quarterly events from start to finish including scheduling & leading project meetings, writing meeting agendas, reviewing tasks incomplete & delegating tasks to keep projects on time, directing events onsite to start on time and problem-solve crises that arise
• Led weekly meetings in order to deliver project updates and field questions from staff members, taking notes for those unable to attend

• Analyzed survey metadata and wrote technical reports on findings

Event Planning

• Built relationships with local business owners in order to ensure future cooperation and/or collaboration
• Reached out to local businesses in order to secure monetary, in-kind, and media sponsorships
  • Sponsors have included Yelp!, Live Work Play, Lonerider Brewery, & DSI Comedy
• Developed engaging program of 10-14 presenters at events every 3 months
  • Submitted RFPs and recruited thought leaders to speak at themed events
• Wrote and distributed all communication to event speakers, attendees, and volunteers
• Managed guest lists (including VIPs) and online guest registration
• Utilized traditional and social media in order to promote event
  • Directed graphic designer in creating logos, posters, and other printed materials
  • Acted as event spokesperson, responding to press inquires and conducting interviews with press, including local online, print, and radio news sources
  • In one case, this culminated in a 200 person attendance (sold out 2 weeks before event)
  • Responsible for 700% increase in event mailing list over 6 months
• Live tweeted presentations and other event happenings, and later wrote up recaps of events
• Wrote presenter and audience feedback surveys, reviewed social media conversation, and analyzed data to improve future events

Training and Consulting

• Trained staff one-on-one and in large groups of 30 at a time on how to conduct standardized Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) and how to use web-based and CATI software
  • Have trained over 150+ call center staff, with a 100% certification rate.
• Conducted intense, 5-day training sessions with 100+ staff members that focused on how to conduct field studies independently in high schools across the U.S.
  • Achieved a 100% certification rate.
• Wrote data collection materials and training manuals
• Taught students how to use language-learning software, record audio and video with webcams, and burn CDs
• Led a seminar at the ProductCamp RTP conference on how to use the PechaKucha presentation style as a communication tool in the workplace
  • Seminar was voted the second best presentation of the conference

Marketing and Communications

• Developed and managed social media marketing campaigns on Facebook and Twitter resulting in increased engagement and brand recognition
• Increased fan base by 25-50% across more than 8 social media accounts through targeted search, contests & giveaways, and good old fashioned conversation
• Recommended social media integration strategies; later implemented
• Pitch story ideas, conduct source interviews & research, write feature & news material for respected online media outlets
• Created copy for both websites and blogs, applying best SEO practices for maximum impact

Client/Customer Support

• Gained cooperation of the presidents and chancellors of 500+ major U.S. institutions to participate in a graduate student enrollment survey
• Provided technical support to survey respondents, resulting in 100% positive feedback
• Conducted qualitative, in-depth telephone interview studies with survey respondents about the survey process to improve data accuracy, survey quality, and user experience
• Conducted public outreach at professional conferences on behalf of employer

WORK HISTORY

Live Work Play – Raleigh, NC  Social Media Marketing & Events Intern … November 2010 – Present

Freelance Writer – Raleigh, NC  … July 210 – November 2010

Pitch story ideas, conduct interviews and research, and write and edit material for online media outlets

RTI International – Durham, NC Communications Specialist … July 2008 – February 2011

Supported large-scale, national postsecondary studies in company’s Education Studies Division

LISC – Washington, DC Public Relations Intern … Feb 2008 – May 2008

Local Initiatives Support Corporation is a national nonprofit aiming to build sustainable communities.

Urban Mapping – San Francisco, CA Freelance (Geo)data Researcher … Jan 2008 – June 2008

A geographic data & services company that collects map data & distributes it through a hosted geoservices platform

Language Media Center – Pittsburgh, PA Media Consultant … Sept 2004 – April 2005

Promoted from Assistant to Consultant after 2 months by supporting the use of technology to enhance language learning

OTHER CURRENT ACTIVITIES

Founder/Organizer of the Triangle Community of Developing Careerists — September 2010 – Present

• Meetup that facilitates the development & meets the evolving career needs of motivated young professionals engaged in transforming traditional and designing non-traditional career paths

Event Co-Organizer for Global PechaKucha Nights Raleigh – January 2010 – Present

• A quarterly idea-sharing event made up of 10-12 quick presentations by local thought leaders

Event Producer at ideaSPARK (of SPARKcon) – March 2010 – September 2010

• A Triangle, NC 4-day creativity festival showcasing local cultural richness through an open-source approach to collaboration and cross pollination

Freelance Photography – 2003 – Present

• Award winning photography
  • 1^st place winner of Flickr Raleigh Challenge: Portrait
  • 1^st place winner (Portrait & Miscellaneous categories) & 2^nd place winner (Architecture category) of RTI Annual Photo Contest
• Published in Caribbean Life & Travel Magazine and Kaleidoscope fashion magazine
• Gallery show in Florence, Italy

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Microsoft Office, Photoshop, WordPress, Google apps (Gmail, Docs, Reader, Analytics, etc.), social media (Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, etc.), email marketing (e.g. Mailchimp, Bronto, etc.), event management (Eventbite, Meetup, etc.), project management software, SEO, web design/development/UX, online content creation & blogging

EDUCATION

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bachelor of Arts, December 2007

Major: Psychology / Minor: Geography

Overall GPA: 3.9